Par Pierre-Andréa Fraile | Journaliste sportif
Paris-born American international Dominique Wilkins has always kept a close eye on developments in French basketball. He has not escaped Victor Wembanyama’s exploits in the NBA, and recently spoke out about him in no uncertain terms.
Rarely has a young player made such a splash in his first two seasons in the league. The Victor Wembanyama tidal wave continues to sweep across the NBA, even despite the young French inside player’s long-term absence. The venous thrombosis he’s still nursing hasn’t prevented him from remaining at the heart of discussions in the game, even at the initiative of legends.
Dominique Wilkins speaks out about Victor Wembanyama
It’s been a few weeks now since Wembanyama has been in the news for his prowess on the court. On the other hand, his name is still mentioned in divisive debates about the future face of the NBA. Failing to give his point of view on the subject, Dominique Wilkins recently made the French international one of his favorite current players. In an interview with Esports Insider, he reveals:
Dominique Wilkins: There are a lot of young stars I admire and enjoy watching play. Guys like Wemby, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Brunson… These guys are superstars and I love watching them.
The Hawks icon went even further regarding Victor, whom he described as generational and closer to a star of his era:
Dominique Wilkins: To be that tall and to be able to handle the ball, shoot 3-pointers and dominate in the paint like that…. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime talent. But I’ll tell you which former player he’s the current equivalent of: he’s the Ralph Sampson of today. Ralph Sampson had the same skills, but he wasn’t allowed to take 3-point shots.
Back then, coaches wouldn’t let big men shoot 3-pointers. But Ralph was capable of shooting from distance, going back and forth on the court, making post-ups and countering shots before his knees gave out on him. Wemby is this generation’s Ralph Sampson.
A most flattering comparison, since Ralph Sampson entered the Hall of Fame in 2012 after an illustrious career. Indeed, Wilkins seems to think Victor is destined for such an honor, as he predicts a bright future for the Spurs:
Dominique Wilkins: The Spurs are going to be really dangerous with all their young players if they keep adding the right pieces around them. Once they get some veterans back to surround Wemby and those guys, they’re going to be really hard to beat.